


Falling Into Place

by falicewins



Series: Falice One Shots by falicewins [15]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-18 21:47:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22600351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falicewins/pseuds/falicewins
Summary: "I love Alice, more than I could possibly explain. So, if it's alright with the five of you, I'd really like to ask her to marry me someday."
Relationships: Alice Cooper/FP Jones II, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: Falice One Shots by falicewins [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626064
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Falling Into Place

Spring Break 2021

"Betty, where did you say your roommate was going for the week?" Alice asked as she took a bite of lasagna. Betty gave her a look from across the table.

"Cancun. She's in Cancun." Betty replied with a roll of her eyes. Polly gave her sister a sympathetic look.

"You don't think that's a bit excessive?" Her mother asked judgingly.

She knew Betty had wanted to go off on some vacation for spring break, but her and Jughead hadn't been home since Christmas and she'd managed to convince them to drag themselves back to Riverdale from NYU for the week. Tonight, they were having a family dinner, complete with all five children as well as the twins before Alice had to go into the news station for the 7 o'clock broadcast.

"It's Spring Break, Alice. Kids usually go to the beach to get drunk with their friends." Charles said nonchalantly from his place next to her. He glanced up to see the mortified look on her face. "What? It's just the truth."

"Can you stop trying to give your mother a heart attack? She has to be on live television in thirty minutes." FP looked down and realized his knee was shaking under the table. Alice felt grateful for his support but noticed the sudden change in his behavior.

The table was trembling slightly as his knee was pushing against the foot of it. FP took a quick look at the clock on the wall that told him it was almost time for her to leave so he decided to encourage her a little.

''You're going to be late, babe, let's get you going.'' He stood up from the table, with both their plates in his hand, bringing them over to the sink. Alice was a little annoyed by the fact that she was being rushed out of the house while she was still trying to enjoy the dinner she was having with all of her kids. Having them all together on the same night was a rare occasion, so when they did Alice made every second count.

"Are you trying to get rid of me or something, FP?" She said with a touch of annoyance in her voice. He knew way too well that she noticed every quirk he had, so there was a good chance she had caught onto his mood.

"No, I just don't want you to be late, hon." He said unconvincingly.

"Well, I know when I have to be at work, and you don't do this any other night. You're being weird." Alice narrowed her eyes as she followed FP over to the sink where he was putting down their plates. She made a move to grab the sponge off the counter, but FP laid a hand on her arm.

"Don't worry about the dishes. You made a wonderful dinner. The kids and I will take care of cleaning up." FP said as earnestly as possible, but he was internally shaking with the knowledge of what he was about to do.

Alice considered this, and though she knew something was up with him, she had to admit that he was being sweet. She decided to drop it for now, though she intended to press him further when she got home.

"If you say so." Alice hummed and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. The feeling of her lips on his skin, even for just a second, calmed his nerves. He caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed her properly.

"Now go, get out of here. The camera doesn't wait." FP lightly slapped her ass as she turned around, earning a disgusted groan from the table full of their children.

"One dinner. That's all I'm asking for. They're like this all the time, and none of you have to suffer through it everyday like I do." Jellybean picked up her plate and handed it to FP with a roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh.

Alice couldn't help the laughter that escaped her as she pulled her purse from the hall closet and grabbed her keys. She was about to walk over to the door and give in to the fact that she really had to leave now if she wanted to be on time for work, but Jughead called out to her.

''Alice, before I forget. Would you mind reading the first few chapters of my novel? I need to send the first draft by the end of the week and I need time to make changes based on your feedback.''

They had come a long way since sophomore year of high school. From the moment Jughead had started college, Alice had sort of became his mentor when it came to his writing. She did it out of goodwill since he was family now as well. The fact that they just happened to really bond over writing was a benefit neither of them really expected in the first place.

"I've already started reading, I should be finished by tomorrow night and I'll send you my notes.'' She took her role as his advisor very seriously since she really believed that Jughead had a bright future as a writer.

The way she saw it, all she did was give him her honest opinion and ask him critical questions to improve his stories, but for Jughead, she really challenged him to think through every word he wrote down. In a way they both learned a lot from their arrangement so it became a regular thing.

"I love you all. Charles, you better still be here when I get home!" She called as she closed the door, not giving him a chance to protest. FP breathed a sigh of relief as she finally left the house.

"Dad, what's going on? You were practically shoving her out the door." Jughead asked before glancing at Betty. It was hard to keep tabs on everyone while they were away at school, so they were both genuinely hoping that everything was okay.

"Everyone in the living room. I need to talk to you about something important." FP waved his arm and took a seat on the couch. With confused faces they followed his lead towards the couch after putting the last of the dishes in the sink, already imagining the worst case scenarios about why FP suddenly seemed so nervous.

"Please don't tell us you're dying." Jellybean smirked at his dramatics and though she was making fun of him, her humor made this whole thing feel just a little less daunting. It was a joke, but it still managed to make Jughead looked all concerned at his dad.

"No, JB. I'm not dying." He laughed and took a deep breath, waiting for all the kids to settle down into chairs.

Polly made it to the living room last, carrying Juniper on her hip and holding Dagwood's hand. She sat down in the armchair and gave FP her full attention. The kids had just woken up from their naps and were about to get their own dinner after they had listened to FP's announcement.

"Okay." He took one last settling breath as the kids looked at him with varying expressions of concern. "Alice and I being together hasn't always been the easiest thing to deal with, I am aware of that. A lot has changed in the last couple of years, and I know that it's been crazy for you kids.''

This was more a statement of things they knew already, so they smiled slightly as they waited for him to get to the point.

"And I would never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable or upset, but since we're in a good place, I'd like to make you a part of something I have been thinking about for a while now.'' He was getting to his big question, so the kids shared a look in curiosity, wanting to know what his plans were."I love Alice, more than I could possibly explain. So, if it's alright with the five of you, I'd really like to ask her to marry me someday."

FP finished up his well-rehearsed speech and looked back at five blank faces. He started to panic as no one reacted, and he wondered if maybe it was foolish to think the kids would ever be okay with this. Then he saw Betty steal a quick glance at Jughead, his mouth quirking up in a grin he tried to hold back.

Within seconds, they were laughing, unable to keep up the act any longer. The moment he saw the grins on their faces it felt like there was a weight lifted off his shoulders. Not only because he finally said his thoughts out loud, but just as much because the kids looked happy instead of horrified, which he would have understood as well. He really wanted them to be okay with this and it seemed like they were.

"We think that's really sweet, FP. And I think I speak for all of us when I say that you have our blessing." Betty gave him a sweet smile as the others calmed down. With a soft smile she looked at her boyfriend once again, to his little sister and towards her own siblings, Polly and Charles, as if she were looking for them to back her up in her statement. It wasn't as if they had never thought about them getting married, they always knew there was a chance but it seemed to be happening maybe sooner than they expected.

"You know I'm cool with it, but this makes Betty and Jughead a little 'Game of Thrones' huh?" Jellybean cracked, earning a snort from Charles and Polly and a glare from Jughead. Both of them knew it was an uncomfortable situation, but looking back at what they have been through, Betty and Jughead knew that they would survive this as well, especially after seeing how happy Alice and FP were together.

"Can you please be just a little less annoying?" Jughead scoffed at his little sister. FP intervened before Jellybean could get out her quippy response. They made a joke about it now, but FP knew this was a very serious matter that needed to be discussed.

"Seriously though. Betty, Jug, you're okay with this?" He pressed them for clarification, and noticed Charles raking a hand through his hair from the corner of his eye. He knew this may be more difficult for him especially, so FP made a mental note to check in with him later.

"We're fine, FP. It won't change much for us, but it'll make the two of you really happy and we couldn't say no to that." Betty leaned her head against Jughead's shoulder as he nodded along to her sentiment.

"So," Polly started, dragging the word out in a way that reminded him so much of Alice. "When are you asking her?"

FP was glad that Polly was taking an interest in the matter because it told him she supported him in her own way. She had been the toughest one to bond with due to their history, but since she had finished treatment, she was really giving him a chance and he didn't want to waste that.

"When the time is right. No solid plans yet." He said as her face fell into a pout. He really had no idea when to pop the question but the last few weeks he had been overthinking it. He realised now that it was a big deal for the whole family. He couldn't drop that bomb on them by simply asking Alice. He'd much rather know they had his back than surprise them all with something big like this. Since he had no one to talk about it before he had thought through every scenario where they would have protested, but to his luck he had their full support.

"But I want to thank all of you for handling this so maturely. It means the world to me, and I know it'll mean the world to Alice too." He gave all five of them a soft smile, which they happily returned.

**

FP felt a lot better knowing that everything was out in the open. He had absolutely no clue if he was going to ask her anytime soon, since he'd been waiting for the perfect moment for a while now. Not that he really knew what that moment would be like, he just assumed that it would feel right at some point.

Betty handed him the plate she had just washed to dry it off and smiled towards him. It had came across her mind a few times, but she'd never thought FP would ask all of them for their permission, and it warmed her heart that he did.

After all those years he grew into the role of a real father figure to her, and even if that was complicated sometimes with him being her boyfriend's father, she was really glad that she could confide in him when she needed to. Without a doubt he had taken her into his home twice and treated her like his own ever since.

She may not be his real daughter, but now they had this blended family in which blood relation didn't really matter anymore. They love and care for each other and that's what counts. She knew that FP loved her mother with everything in his heart so why on earth wouldn't she support that?

"Whenever you ask, she's is going to be over the moon." She said softly to snap him out of his trance. He looked at her for a few seconds before a little grin crept onto his face.

He knew Alice like no other, but even if he had a thousand scenarios about how to propose he could never quite figure out which one she would like the most. That's why he decided to not think it through and listen to his own intuition.

''You think so?'' He asked the one other person who knew Alice so well. They had never talked about marriage before so he wasn't even sure she was open to the idea and he was just too afraid to get his heart shattered if he started a serious conversation about it, so he hadn't brought it up.

"I do." She stated softly. It was something she was sure about. Unlike FP, she had witnessed her mother's first marriage to her own dad for over seventeen years, every single day of her life. She had never seen her mom with her dad the way she was with FP. It just took her some time to realize that her mother had never been happy.

"You know, when I was growing up, I thought my parents were in love. I thought that my dad buying her jewelry and taking her to fancy restaurants was romantic.'' Betty started.

It wasn't as if FP had asked her to explain why she was so confident, but it felt like something she needed to get off her chest to assure him that he was making the right choice.

"But then I fell in love with Jughead and I realized that the things my dad did for my mom weren't out of love. They were just out of this idea of what marriage was supposed to be." Betty's eyes started to beam as she mentioned her boyfriend and how she had fallen in love with him so unexpectedly.

FP listened carefully to her and the moment she mentioned her love for his son his heart started to glow. They brought out the best in each other and he knew how much good his relationship with Betty did for his boy. Her talking about him like that only confirmed more and more that he was glad that his son had someone like her by his side. She woke herself up out of her daydream and continued making her point.

"Jughead showed me what love was, and I'm pretty sure you showed my mom. I don't think I ever saw my dad treat her with an ounce of the affection that you do." There was a spark in her eyes as if she was trying to thank him for loving her mother without having to say it and he was forever grateful for that.

FP had never thought of it that way. He knew that her marriage with Hal was a big show for the outside world, but he never thought of the fact that besides their relationship she had never known love before.

Maybe that had already started when they were young and would spend their days in that old pipe, back when they couldn't control the hardships of their lives. From ranting to each other about their responsibility-lacking parents to finding support in each other physically when they grew older.

Sharing the night together as teenagers always made both of them feel alive, even if it was just for a couple of hours. They would have done anything to escape their shitty lives, and for a long time escaping meant finding the other. They took a lot of time to get back on the right path again, but this time, the big difference was that they didn't need to escape anymore. They had finally started to live.

"Thank you, Betty. That means a lot to me. I am trying to give your mom every bit of love she deserves." He smiled towards the blonde girl next to him and took another plate out of her hands to dry it off. There was a little silence where in they just continued with the dishes.

"If you want some help picking a ring, let me know. She's hard to buy for." She offered politely. Alice was picky when it came to most things, and jewelry was no different. Not that she didn't trust that FP would buy something beautiful, still, some advice wouldn't hurt.

FP chuckled quietly as a big grin spread over his face. The more he thought about it, the more confidence he gained about asking her. The goofy smile on his face didn't go unnoticed by Betty so she furrowed her eyebrows for him to explain himself.

"You know how your mom hated that pool table when she first moved back in here?" He started with a knowing look. No one could ever forget the pool table after Alice had constantly ranted about it the moment she noticed that it was a substitute to a dining table.

Betty started laughing and nodded in agreement. She remembered far too well. Alice had made it clear to the whole family that she wasn't amused with that awful thing that looked like it was dragged out of the basement of the White Whyrm.

"We went to buy a dinner table that was decent in her eyes, and that's when we ended up in an antique store not far from Elm Street." He started to explain. Betty was paying close attention, knowing that he was getting at something important. If she thought back they didn't have that pool table for long after Alice had moved back into her old house.

"Yeah, that was like a week after she got back." She recalled. Even though it seemed like yesterday, that had been almost two years ago. He chuckled slightly and nodded along. He remembered way too well the first few days when she got back.

They hadn't seen each other for months and little did he know that she had been secretly working with their long lost son as an undercover FBI agent. After hearing her story all he could do was feel incredibly grateful that she was still alive in the first place, now knowing what kind of torture she had been through and what Edgar had in store for her if his plan had succeeded.

Neither of them wanted to fight anymore. They had one life that could be taken away any minute in a town like Riverdale and they had screwed up with each other multiple times now, so it was time for them to open up about the feelings that had been inside them for years, but had never found their way out.

It had been difficult for them both to set their pride aside, with Alice still hurt over their breakup and FP reeling from the revelation that their son was alive, but after a night spent talking through it all, they knew they couldn't let each other slip away again. After talking for hours and hours and seeing the sun come up again, they had fallen into a deep sleep, in a bedroom that had so much history.

They didn't wake up until noon to see each other's faces for the very first time in a bed that was theirs now. It was a moment where silence said more than a thousand words ever could. Whatever life had in store for them, they knew they wanted to wake up next to each other for the rest of their lives.

"It was. While she was accosting the salesman, I was just looking around and this caught my eye."

His hands travelled towards the pocket of his denim jeans and pulled out a small navy blue velvet box. From the moment he had bought it he had kept it with him every day so Alice wouldn't accidentally find it in his nightstand if she was cleaning or organizing. No matter where he went, the ring was always with him.

He opened the small box and showed Betty what was inside. Her eyes told him more than a thousand words. She instantly teared up the moment her eyes saw the ring. A little gasp escaped her mouth while she looked up at FP who smiled softly. He knew it was the perfect one, but seeing her daughter react like that still meant something to him.

"It's beautiful, FP. In a way, it reminds me of her." She said grinning. It was a weird feeling to look at a piece of jewelry and immediately think of a person, but in this case this ring definitely was Alice in a way. The fact that she saw it too made him smile even more.

"That's exactly what I thought when I saw it. But she was there, so I went back later that week, and just bought it. I wasn't even really thinking about asking her to marry me, I just couldn't help it.'' He smiled slightly, looking away from her, feeling somehow a little bit embarrassed now that he said it out loud for the very first time.

There was no bone in his body that ever doubted that he wanted to buy that ring and give it to her one day. Even when things were still so fragile and new, he just knew in that moment that he was never going to let go ever again.

"When I got home and started looking at it, I realized that I had just bought an engagement ring. Deep down I'd always wanted to marry your mom, I just didn't know it until then." He ended the little story. Betty had listened to it with her full attention, completely in awe of how he had the ring for almost two years now. There were plenty of moments when she noticed how crazy he was about her mother, but she had never expected him to buy a ring that early in their relationship.

"I see you, FP, when she's stressed and you bring her a cup of her favorite tea. Or when you leave her notes on the table when you're working early and have to leave before she's awake.'' She started rambling about the little things that mattered so much when he did them without a second thought. They weren't big gestures, they were just small things that showed that he cared about her.

Alice of course saw these things, but they didn't go unnoticed by their children. Most kids wouldn't have noticed those little things their parents were doing, but Betty, Polly, Jughead and Jellybean had all seen their parents in relationships where that thoughtfulness wasn't there naturally. So now those actions, like the tea and the notes, caught their attention. This was what a happy and healthy relationship had to look like, not everything they had seen from their parents when they were growing up.

FP never even knew that the kids paid attention to that, let alone that they actually remembered some of those things. Neither his or Alice's kids had ever gotten the example of what a good marriage should look like, he was well aware of that, so maybe that's why everything FP and Alice did for each other seemed so huge to them now.

He smiled slightly to thank her since he was grateful for the fact that she saw how good they were for each other. Suddenly Betty remembered something else that had warmed her heart in that very moment. With a grin she pointed her finger at him while leaning against the sink where she just had finished all the dishes.

"I remember last year when she took me to that journalism conference? She found your flannel in her bag even though she didn't pack it." She chuckled while shaking her head. She had seen in her mother's eyes that she secretly loved it and the fact that she had slept in it instead of her silky pajamas that weekend, said a lot about how much she missed him.

FP laughed along with her, knowing exactly how much Alice had loved that even when she would never say that out loud.

"Well, she'd never ask for herself, she's too damn proud." He stated the obvious. Especially in the re-start of their relationship she had been the more stubborn one when it came to admitting missing the other because she wasn't used to missing someone when she went out of town. Mostly it was a way to escape home for just two days, but with FP and her whole family at home now she actually longed to be there whenever she had to get away.

"That's what I mean though. You know her better than anyone else in the world. I'm just so glad that she has you." Betty continued, wanting to make sure he knew how he'd affected their lives. The last two years have been some of the happiest for their entire family, and she was incredibly grateful for the role FP had played in that.

"Thank you, Betty." FP had to will away tears away as he listened to what she had to say.

There were times in his life when he thought everyone would just be better off without him. Times when he ruined everything he touched because he couldn't keep his hands off the bottle. Those days were behind him though, and for the first time in his life, he actually felt needed, and not just by Alice, but by his children and hers too. The feeling was intoxicating in a way alcohol never could be because it actually led to something good. It made him want to work harder and harder everyday to be the man that he was in their eyes.

He opened his arms to her and she gave him a quick hug, a gesture that would've seemed impossible just three years ago.

"The guys are watching a movie downstairs, you want to join?" Betty asked as she pulled away. FP thought for a moment to join them but then remembered he had someone else to talk to first.

"I'm good, you go ahead. Will you send your brother up though? I want to talk to him." FP asked, and Betty gave him a knowing look before nodding her head and turning for the basement stairs.

He could hear Charles' footsteps hitting the stairs just a minute later as he made his way up. Charles came around the corner into the kitchen where FP was standing nervously at the island.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Charles asked somewhat hesitantly. It wasn't often that he had heart to hearts with his father. Neither of them were particularly good at expressing their feelings, so he was nervous about where this conversation was going. FP ran a hand over the back of his neck before speaking.

"Yeah. I uh, I just want to make sure that you're really okay with this? I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, but I kind of got the feeling that something was bothering you." FP drew out the sentence hesitantly, fully aware that this conversation could easily scare his son off. Charles' face tightened, his mouth a straight line as he ran his hand over his clean shaven face.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard." Charles started slowly, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. "I've spent my entire life thinking about the 'what ifs.''' He started, as he thought through what he wanted to say to his dad, as it was the first time he'd actually opened up about his feelings towards the situation.

"And yes, it would be easier to accept everything that happened if you two didn't love each other. It definitely makes wondering about what things would've been like if you'd kept me more difficult. But that's something I need to get past on my own, and it shouldn't have any bearing on your relationship." He ended with a soft smile, not wanting to bother his father with his thoughts.

Charles was genuinely happy for his parents. He loved seeing them interact with each other, and it truly made him believe in love in a way that he hadn't before. He'd struggled with being given up his entire life, but he understood why everything happened the way it did better than ever. It was hard to think that he'd want things to be any different than they were now.

FP looked down at the floor as Charles confessed to his struggles. Most of the time, it was unbearable to think, much less talk about what Charles went through in his life, but FP knew that this was the time.

Hearing his son say that he feels the need to face his struggles all by himself broke his heart a little. Even when he wasn't the easiest person to open up to since words weren't exactly his specialty, he knew how it felt to think you needed to do deal with everything on your own. He never had that bond with his dad, but he wanted Charles to feel like he could rely on him, even if that struggle had something to do with his relationship with Alice.

"You should always remember that you never have to face anything on your own. Not even when it's about us. I know how hard that is, but I am here for you and I know your mom is too.'' He started to assure his son, as he places his hands on his shoulders to empower his statement.

"You can tell us everything that's going on in your head, even when it feels like you can't share it with the world. We'll never judge you for your thoughts.'' It was a quality Charles probably got from FP, since both of them tend to keep their thoughts for themselves instead of saying them out loud.

Alice helped FP to change that, so he would open up in their relationship more, which he needed to do in order for them to work. Charles wasn't that different, sometimes it even felt like he was looking into a mirror when he looked at his son. He knew he needed to take the first step before he could expect his son to open up to him.

"I regret every day that your mother didn't feel like she could tell me what was going on when she was pregnant with you, but having you in our lives today means the absolute world to me." His voice was gravelly as he did his absolute best to keep himself pulled together.

He knew that the blame isn't solely on him, he shared it with Alice, but he felt so ashamed at the way that he'd treated her in high school. He'd been too busy trying to become the next big thing to realize that she needed him. And because of that, she made the decision that dictated the rest of their lives.

He knew that if she'd told him, they wouldn't have Polly, Betty, Jughead, or Jellybean and he wouldn't trade them for the world, but it was hard to use them as justification for what happened to Charles. He couldn't have had it both ways, and he knew this, but it didn't make it any easier to accept.

Charles nodded along as FP spoke, a small smile creeping onto his lips as his father admitted how much he loved having him in his life. He never expected to get to know his real family, and definitely never expected to be accepted into it so lovingly.

"You know I don't hold any of that against you guys. I used to, when I was younger, but I understand now." He assured his father, and FP's eyes glossed over almost unnoticeably.

For a long time it had been so easy to just be mad at those two people that he didn't even know. First he had imagined what they looked like, what their names were but most of all why they had given him up.

The more he thought about it, the more that longing feeling of wanting to meet his parents changed into an emotion that was easier to handle. The thought of two people giving him up had broken something inside him that he showed through anger for years to ignore the empty feeling inside of him. For so long, he told himself he wasn't good enough, that he was unwanted and not worthy of having a loving family. It was no wonder that at the lowest point in his life he fell right into the arms of Chic and became addicted to drugs because it was the only thing that made him forget it all.

"You were taken from me the moment I found out that you existed, and then just over two years ago you just showed up here with your mom and it was the best day of my life, having you two back." FP's voice cracked almost unnoticeably as he fought against the tears that had started to well up into his eyes, feeling like he was somehow reliving the moment when Alice had stumbled into his trailer, telling him about the existence of their son who she gave birth to when she was seventeen.

But then the impossible happened. After believing his son was dead for over a year he suddenly appeared on his doorstep. They both remembered the night far too well. They arrived at Elm Street, where father and son had met for the very first time. The moment FP's eyes crossed with Alice's he knew something had happened that probably scarred her for life. There hadn't been many times where he had seen Alice like that, so he knew it was serious.

She had told him with everything she had that the man who was with her was their long lost son and in that moment FP felt like the world stopped turning. The son he only got to know about a year ago was now standing in front of them and was an FBI agent. It felt like everything was finally coming together.

For Charles things hadn't been too different. Alice had told him that he was about to meet his dad, a moment he had been looking forward to for as long as he remembered. He knew his name, but that was about it. Not that he never wanted to ask Alice what he was like, but they had much more important things to do while working together. All his life he had thought of things to say, but now that he was looking right at his dad who was fighting against his tears, he just fell totally silent. He had finally managed to say his name but FP wasn't in a state where he could say something back. All he could do in that moment was walk over to him, embrace him like he was never letting go again and thank him for bringing Alice home safely.

None of that would have happened if he hadn't been investigating the Evernevers and their cult that had taken over Riverdale. Charles stood up from the chair he was sitting on and walked over to where FP leaned against the sink.

"I guess you have Edgar to thank for that." Charles joked slightly, in an attempt to lighten the mood just a little. FP chuckled as he furrowed his eyebrows. Not a bone in his body would ever thank Edgar Evernever for anything, not after torturing so many people, not after torturing Alice.

"Well, that's taking things a little far." He joked back as he shook his head.

He looked at Charles smile and just wanted to ask him one more time now that he seemed more comfortable.

"But seriously, are you really okay with this? Because we are going to need someone to walk her down the aisle one day." FP smirked, already picturing him and Alice walking towards him. Even though he hadn't asked Alice yet, he'd always imagined Charles walking her down the aisle if he was lucky enough to marry her someday.

There appeared a sparkle in Charles's eyes that wasn't there that often. The idea of having the honor of doing something like that for his parents was warming his heart and was more than he could ever dream of as a kid.

"You really think she'd want me to?" He asked his father quietly, the nerves now more noticeable in his voice. FP smiled and placed his hand on his son's shoulder to make him look directly into his brown eyes.

"Of course she would, son." He said softly, hoping to convince him that he would be the perfect one to give Alice away. "She wouldn't want anyone else.'' He added to that, knowing that it was the truth.

If there was someone walking her down the aisle it had to be Charles. Nobody else should be the one to be in that position. Just the thought of her in a beautiful dress walking over to him with their son next to her was instantly making him tear up.

Charles gave him a genuine smile. It was one of those smiles you rarely got from someone. It was a smile that told him that in some way he made him the luckiest son on earth.

"I totally support you marrying Mom. You're lucky to have each other." He said softly, assuring his father for the second time that he really was okay if they would marry at some point.

He appreciated that FP could see something was bothering him in just a blink of an eye and that he took the time to talk to him about it. He needed this heart to heart talk to stand behind his decision.

"We're lucky to have you, boy." FP said softly, before embracing his son in a hug the both of them needed badly at that moment.

Christmas break 2021

"FP, it was supposed to be in the big red box. I'm telling you, it's in there. You're just not looking hard enough." Alice stood at the bottom of the staircase as she yelled up to where FP was in the attic. She flinched as she heard boxes hit the floor, praying nothing ended up broken.

"Do you want to come look, Al?" His muffled voice traveled down the steps as he tried not to get irritated with her. He knew how much she loved this time of year, but it also brought out the most neurotic parts of her personality.

He came down with a big red box and hands it over to her so she immediately starts looking for the missing piece.

"We can't have Christmas without the star, FP." He sighed almost inaudibly but she still managed to send him a glare while he shared knowing looks with both Polly and Betty.

They knew way too well how their mom could be around the holidays. Jughead and Jellybean did their best to stay out of the way, while Charles took his spot on the couch, waiting for the chaos to die down. The only reason she was so stressed was because she just wanted everything to be perfect.

"It's not in here." Alice threw her hands up and sighed loudly before FP came over and started looking through the box. When he didn't see it either, he turned around to find Alice pacing, not even realizing that Juniper was sitting just feet away with the star in her hands, fascinated by the shiny thing.

"Al, you gotta relax." He grabbed her shoulders and stilled her, but she looked back at him with fire in her eyes.

"Excuse me? How are we going to finish the tree without the star? Don't you tell me to relax, Forsythe." Alice yanked her shoulders from FP's grip as he chuckled at her, which only infuriated her more. Betty and Polly started laughing hysterically when they realized where the star actually was, but neither of them said anything to their mother.

FP rolled his eyes and walked over to where Juniper was sitting, still entranced with the metallic star. The little toddler had no idea that she was holding the one thing that her grandma was desperately looking for.

"Hey, Junebug, let's show your grandma what you've got." He lifted up the toddler and walked over to where Alice was standing in front of the Christmas tree, her hand over her forehead as she tried to think of where else her tree topper could be. Juniper grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled lightly on it.

Alice turned her head to look at her grandchild who held the missing Christmas star that was making her so stressed. She let out the breath she had been holding in from all the tension building up in her body now that she saw Juniper with the big goofy smile she loved so much. FP shared a knowing look with her.

"See? This little munchkin had it all along.'' He quipped.

"Grandpa, up!" Juniper gestured to the top of the tree for FP to lift her higher. Alice smirked at him, knowing it was still hard for him to get used to the twins referring to him as such. Not only because he felt old whenever they called him that, but especially because it reminded him of the fact that this was a new role he had never known before.

Nevertheless, he loved being their grandfather. He loved to play little lullabies on his guitar for them, or being the one to secretly give them a cookie even when Polly told them they couldn't have anymore snacks before dinner. Suddenly he was their favorite, and that was huge after feeling like a screw up parent for so long. He had improved his life for his kids, but he still missed out on some things. He got the chance to do that with his non biological grandkids now and he enjoyed every second of it.

"Yes, grandpa. Up." Alice drew out in a whisper as she walked further behind them to take a picture. With a devilish grin on her face from teasing him with the little nickname she took a step back and grabbed her phone to get her camera ready and immortalize the sweet sight of FP and Juniper.

Polly started chuckling when she saw the frown on FP's face, since he looked the exact same way every time one of her kids called him that. She knew he secretly loved it, even when he tried so hard to hide it. Her fingers softly tickled her daughters belly to make her giggle while she was still held in FP's arms.

"Yes honey, go put the star on top with grandpa." She teased him, looking at the man who was holding her child.

The first year Polly had trouble accepting FP into their family. To her he would always be the one that helped cover up the murder of her boyfriend and the father of her children. She was convinced that she would never be able to look past that, but with the right treatment and a lot of therapy sessions she was getting there. She's had a rough couple of years but she could feel herself getting better now. Her kids were home with her again and the three of them were being taken care of by the whole family.

Even FP had tried to open up from the very first second she had moved back home. At first she had given him the cold shoulder, until she saw another side of him and started to slowly warm up to the idea of him being family. It took her a while to realise that she was getting nowhere with holding her grudge against him instead of trying her best to forgive him. He had protected his son and now that she was a mom of two toddlers she could understand where he was coming from. She would do anything to keep her kids safe, especially after everything that had happened the last few years. Life was so much better when you were able to forgive.

When she saw how much her kids adored him and with how much love and tenderness he treated them with she knew that he was a changed man. If they couldn't have their father in their lives anymore then at least they had a grandfather they could count on.

Juniper clapped euphorically after she had carefully placed the star on top. Everyone watched in awe of the happy toddler who was being set down on the floor again. FP's eyes fell on his other grandchild looking a bit sad, but desperately trying not to show it.

"Why the long face, little bud? You want to put the star on top too?" He kneeled down in front of Dagwood to be able to properly face the boy. His eyes started to sparkle the moment FP mentioned the star so he nodded shyly.

Dagwood was definitely the more bashful out of the two of them. Juniper loved being the center of attention and always said what she was thinking, while Dagwood tended to think things through. There spread a big grin across FP's face and grabbed the kid's hand.

"Come here you." He chuckled as he went to pick the boy up.

Alice watched as FP lifted Dagwood over his shoulders and the little boy replaced the star. She couldn't help but see his little face become a younger version of Charles, and her smile fell just a bit as she imagined what their life could've been. But that was all in the past and she wouldn't be watching the adorable moment in front of her now if things had been different. FP set Dagwood down with a laugh and made his way over to her, placing a kiss on her cheek as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You're cute." Alice whispered in his ear before laying her head down on his shoulder. The sight of her man with her grandchildren was something she would never get tired of. It was one of the few things in the world that could actually calm her down in stressful situations like these.

The frustration she had with him had completely melted away. Every year she was stressed about decorations, when it didn't even really matter that much. She had just the urge to make sure everything was perfect because Christmas was one of the only few days in the year everyone was together. If there was one thing Alice loved, it was taking care of her family and making sure it would be an unforgettable Christmas.

"I don't know what you're talking about." FP squeezed her arm and smirked, knowing damn well that he was going soft. He mostly didn't mind though. He'd always be a Serpent at heart, but that didn't mean he couldn't be a doting grandfather too.

"Alright people! We've still got lights to do outside and the rest of the inside decorations to finish too! Let's get this show on the road!" Betty called as she pulled the string lights out of their boxes. As if on cue Charles and Jellybean stood up from the couch to let Betty hand them over some of the boxes. She wouldn't be Alice's daughter if she didn't start bossing everyone around.

FP looked down at Alice with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Did you clone yourself? That's you over there, right?" Alice shoved at his stomach as she pulled away from him, but couldn't help herself from laughing. Even when she tried to let it blow over, she loved that he saw the similarities between her and her youngest daughter.

Betty would never admit it, but she'd become more and more like her mother every day, and everyone else in the family could see it perfectly. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that turning into her mom wasn't a bad thing. They had their differences for sure, and not all the parenting decisions Alice had made the last twenty years were the right ones, but underneath all that she was a strong, powerful and caring woman. Betty was lucky she got those qualities from her mother.

"Jughead, you're with me in the kitchen. If you're going to eat all the cookies, you may as well know how to make them." Alice teased the young man as she made her way into the kitchen. He feigned a look of hurt, but he knew she was right. In all honesty he'd rather be warm inside, close to food, then to be the one to decorate the porch in the cold.

He could hear Betty continue giving orders as he followed Alice, instructing Charles and Jellybean to take down the everyday decorations from the living room and change them with the decorations from the boxes she gave them while she and FP started on the lights outside. Polly took the twins upstairs for their nap, so they could stay up a little later that night. It wasn't everyday when all of them were together, so she'd like for her kids to hang out with all their family members as much as possible.

Alice started pulling ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator while Jughead leaned somewhat uncomfortably against the counter. He and Alice had grown closer over the years, but their interactions typically had to do with school or writing, and any other time, Betty or his dad were there, so this was somewhat new for them. He knew Alice was serious about Christmas cookies, so he wanted to do his best to follow her instructions.

She handed him a bowl and told him to crack the eggs while she started on the dry ingredients. He wasn't really sure he was doing it right but Alice gave him a reassuring look, so he felt a little more confident. It wasn't everyday that the two of them would do something together. For a long time he had wished for his mother to come back, but the more he thought about it the more he realised how she had never really taken care of him. It wasn't even close to the adoration and love Alice was giving both him and his sister now. He appreciated the way she had taken them into her family without a second thought.

"I've never made these before." He stated awkwardly. Not that it was much of a conversation starter, but he'd never baked any Christmas cookies in his whole life. Alice looked at the beanie wearing boy next to her and gave him a slight smile. She'd never really been good at talking about these kinds of things.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, right?" She hummed and focused on the batter she was making. He just sadly nodded, getting the hint that she probably had no idea what he was getting at.

A part of her wanted to ask him about his family celebrating the holidays but another part of her told her to keep her mouth shut because she already knew that it hadn't been anywhere close to an ideal situation. It was an old habit that she'd rather get rid of, so she mustered up the courage to get out a question, to keep the conversation going and show her genuine interest.

"What kind of things did you guys do around the holidays? Anything special?" She asked the boy. The last two years he had slowly turned into a son to her, even though that was a little complicated with him dating her daughter.

Now they were all living under the same roof he was slowly feeling like one of her own. Alice knew that Jughead's well-being was important to both FP and Betty, so she cared about him too. He was a good kid with a bright future and she was glad that her daughter had a supportive boyfriend like him.

"We could only dream of a Christmas with gingerbread cookies and presents under the three. We always did something small, so we never felt the same excitement most kids our age did." Jughead started off, stirring through the batter with the whisk.

Alice knew what he meant. It was hard to make holidays special when you had a mother who seemed like she cared less and less everyday and a father who drowned his regrets in alcohol. She sighed, not quite knowing what to say, and debating whether to tell him that she'd had her fair share of Christmases just like his when she was growing up on the Southside. He spoke again before she could decide though.

"It's hilarious to see Dad acting like Father Christmas, and I really am having a great time. Christmas has been so much warmer since we started spending it with you and Betty. I've really started to look forward to days like this. Even when you keep a tight ship to make sure we're ready on time." He chuckled slightly, teasing her a little over her neurotic quirks, though it always was out of love. He could see where she was coming from and wanted to contribute to help make it a perfect Christmas. Not only because it meant a lot to Alice, but because it meant a lot to himself and his sister as well. It felt like in some way they could make up for lost time.

Alice put down the spoon that she was using to stir the batter and looked at the boy in his eyes. Even though she was used to celebrating Christmas on Elm Street, a lot of things changed the moment FP, Jellybean and Jughead had moved in. It was hard to talk about the past, but since Jughead tried his best to open up she felt like returning the favour.

"When the girls were little, I did all of this to make it seem like we were a big, happy family." She gestured towards the cookies, the tree and the decorations in the room. "I moved to the Northside and I thought that meant things were supposed to be perfect, but they weren't. I think I hid it well for the girls, but I used to dread Christmas. It never felt as joyous as I thought it was supposed to." Alice had never really shared this with anyone, not even with FP.

Not because it was a secret, but because she'd rather live in the present than to look back at the time in her life where she wasn't as happy as she was now. It all happened for a reason, but she still missed out on so many years.

"I don't think I felt it until our first Christmas as a family a few years ago, except it was better than I ever could've imagined. It's all about being together with the people you love, but I think I tried to hide the fact that I couldn't feel that by trying to be the perfect family to the outside world.'' Alice said softly, and gave him a little smile.

She had always been good with words, but when it came to her own emotions things were different. All those years she had been keeping up an act, and sometimes it was still a challenge to let go of that old habit, even when she was surrounded by people she could be honest with.

"So this whole 'being happy' thing is pretty new for you too?" Jughead asked with a grin, causing Alice to let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." She said as she sprinkled flour on the counter to roll out the cookie dough.

They worked for the next twenty minutes, cutting the cookie dough into little gingerbread men and getting them ready to go into the oven. They talked casually about FP and Betty, school and work. It felt natural, and normal and they both felt really grateful to have each other in that moment. Alice stuck the tray of cookies in the oven and turned back to Jughead.

"Oh! I finished the next chapter of my novel. Do mind if I go get it?" Jughead asked excitedly, his face lit up like a little kid.

Alice couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. She was the only one Jughead really trusted enough to be completely honest about his work. Alice really loved helping him out by reading his newly written chapters, especially when she was really hooked on the story already.

"Of course! You really left me hanging with the last one." Alice said enthusiastically as he darted up the stairs.

She shook her head at his giddiness and started cleaning off the counter. As she absentmindedly cleaned the mess they made while baking, Charles poked his head around the corner, into the kitchen.

"Need some help?" He asked, already moving to grab the mixing bowls and spoons from the island and take them from the sink. He had left his little sister in the living room who was adding the finishing touches to their decorations. She definitely had eyes for detail.

"No, but thank you." She smirked at him as he started washing the dishes anyway.

Alice had been worried about how he would handle spending holidays with them now that he was a part of the family, but he'd fallen in mostly seamlessly. Last year had been a little rough, and she knows that she overwhelmed him a little as she tried to make him feel included, but in the end, everything was perfect. His first Christmas as someone's son, someone's brother and even as someone's uncle, had been an experience he pretended he didn't need for a long time.

Alice saw the look of disappointment on his face even when he tried to hide it so well. He had just finished decorating the living room and felt a little lost not having a task when everyone else had one. He wouldn't say it out loud to her, but sometimes it was still was a little hard to adjust to his new family, even when it had been two years now.

He could always feel that he missed out on so many years when everyone was talking about all the memories they had shared together. If it wasn't Jellybean and Jughead talking about their childhood and memories of their parents, then it was Betty and Polly mentioning something between the two of them. They didn't do it on purpose, but for him it only reminded him that he had spent the first twenty-five years of his life without a family.

One thing about Charles was that he had the same expressions as FP, especially when it came to him being frustrated or sad, so she caught on to what was going on in his mind, even without asking.

"Maybe you can help me make some hot chocolate? I think everyone needs to warm up." She gave her son a soft smile and gestured with her head to FP and Betty who were still working with the lights on the front porch.

"I'd love to." He smiled, his face relaxing now that he had something to occupy himself with.

It had taken a long time to see Alice as his mother rather than the woman who gave him away when he was born, but it was moments like this that solidified things for him. He didn't know how she always seemed to be able to make him feel more comfortable, more at home, but it was it like it came naturally to her.

Charles grabbed the milk out of the refrigerator while Alice took ten mugs out of the kitchen cabinet. She placed them carefully on the counter, when her eyes fell on FP and her daughter who were trying their best to make their front porch the most cheerful out of the whole street.

He had the Christmas lights in his hands, all tied up in one big knot. Every year they said they would wrap it up carefully but all the lights always ended up tangled anyway. He seemed to be frustrated because he started to pull roughly on the cords.

Alice slightly laughed at him as his eyes met her own, so she gave him a wink and a soft smile to tell him that he shouldn't stress himself. They had a schedule, but decorating should be fun so there was no need to rush.

He stopped for a moment and just looked at her, with the cord hanging in his hand. A smile appeared on his face as he looked back into her calm eyes through the window. Just staring at her for a few seconds could always ground him, especially when he was tense, even when it was just about Christmas lights.

She watched as he smiled and started looking for the end of the light strand in a calm way this time, untangling the chord slowly. Charles watched Alice's facial expression go from amused to completely in awe. He couldn't help but notice the little things when he was around them. Years as an FBI agent had honed his observation skills and that didn't go away when he wasn't at work.

"You always seem to do that for him." He pointed out as he put the milk into a pot. Alice looked up from the window, her facial expression changed to one of confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked him, tearing herself from the window to grab the cocoa out of the pantry.

"When we were working together on the video tapes, he would get frustrated so easily when we hit a bump in the case. If we were at the station, he'd always grab the picture of you off his desk and just sit with it for a minute. Or if we were out in the field, I'd catch him pulling one out of his wallet. Just looking at you calms him down, clears his head. He'd always be fine afterwards, and we'd get on with the case." Charles explained nonchalantly, stirring the milk on the stove to keep it from boiling. He glanced up to his mother, frozen in place, her hand on the cabinet door and a smile tugging at her lips.

Charles hadn't even realised that this was news to her, while for him it was something that he had seen so many times before. She looked at FP once again, who was now almost done untangling the cords, looking more calm now.

"He really does that?" She whispered quietly, genuinely surprised by him doing such a sweet thing.

Alice knew that she had her ways to ground him when he needed that, but she had no idea that she was there to help him ease his nerves when she wasn't even really there. If she was being honest with herself, the entire concept was new to her.

She'd never considered herself to be a particularly calming presence in anyone's life. Quite the contrary actually. She'd spent most of her life stirring up trouble wherever she could find it, whether that meant setting dumpsters on fire or writing searing exposés. But she always knew how to balance FP out, like a sixth sense. She knew when he was angry, usually before he did.

Charles placed the last spoon into the mugs and looked at his mother, who's eyes were glowing now.

"Well, yeah. I figured you knew. He does it literally all the time, every time we've ever worked together." Charles said it like the whole world knew, like it should've been written in textbooks.

Alice looked at FP again, who was now finished unwrapping the cord and carefully climbed onto the ladder to reach the gutter. She shook her head slightly while the grin on her face only grew wider.

Charles' smile grew too when he saw his mother happy like that. At the beginning he had to adjust to the fact that his parents were together now, especially when he'd always imagined that they didn't love each other, that he was a product of a meaningless one night stand, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. Everyone could see that they were hopelessly in love, and he started to feel very grateful to have two parents who love each other.

"Isn't it great to finally celebrate Christmas all together?" Alice said her thoughts out loud, thinking about how last year had been a little rough since Polly hadn't been back from her treatment yet, and things just didn't go as smoothly as she planned. Alice had tried everything to make it unforgettable, but it just didn't turn out the way she had pictured it in her head. FP had calmed her down that night by snuggling up to her and telling her that it was a wonderful Christmas and that she did an amazing job, but she couldn't quite feel that. But this year? This year everything seemed to turn out perfectly. Everyone was there for the holiday season, and they were all in a good place.

"You know what I always dreamed of during the holidays?" Charles asked her. They hadn't really talked about it before, even when it was something so important to him.

It wasn't as if he didn't trust Alice with his feelings, but it was hard for him to open up. She had tried before to make him talk about it, but he had never learned to express his feelings that way. Even when it was difficult for him to be honest about it and share his thoughts with her, it felt like a good moment. Alice furrowed her eyebrows and gave him a knowing look, encouraging him to go on.

"Decorating the house all together, drinking hot chocolate together, baking cookies, those kind of things. For so long it seemed like a fairytale that would never become reality. And yet here we are." He answered his own question as Alice's eyes became misty.

Charles smiled slightly as he poured the hot milk into the mugs. It really meant the world to him. Celebrating the holidays with a family who loved him the way they all did had been nothing more than a dream for over twenty-five years.

Sometimes it was still a little too much, so he became overwhelmed by these new experiences. When that happened, he just took a step back and observed everyone carefully. He loved how Alice was the caretaker of the family, making sure everyone had enough to eat and to drink, but was also having a good time.

She could be stressed a lot about these little things, but that's where FP's calming quality came in handy. He always was the one to ease her nerves. He checked up on everyone to make sure they were doing okay, which Charles really appreciated. Betty was just like her mom, having a big to-do list, giving everyone a task to make sure it was going to be perfect.

Jughead wasn't any different than his dad, but caught on to Betty's and Alice's passion for the holiday as well. Jellybean was mostly fooling around, making sure everyone got a good laugh every now and then. Polly was mostly focused on her kids to make sure they were involved as well. It was safe to say that no-one in the house had happy Christmases to look back on, so she was making sure her kids would make everlasting memories.

Being around often enough to notice all of these traits in his family members, meant everything to Charles.

Alice smiled, swallowing the lump in her throat that formed upon hearing those words from her son. She'd never wanted anything more than for him to be safe and happy, and now he was.

"I'm so glad you're here, honey." She choked out, laying a hand on his arm so he'd place the mugs that were in his hands back on the counter. She pulled him into a hug, locking her arms around his shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Charles said as he hugged her back. There were just a few stolen moments when he referred to her as his mother. Not because he didn't love her in that way, but because he never grew up with the idea of having someone to call his mom.

As he said it, Alice had to work extra hard to keep her emotions at bay. She and Charles had built a meaningful relationship over the years, but moments like this were still scarce. She didn't always feel like he looked at her as his mother, and it wasn't often that he referred to her as such. She cherished moments like this more than he knew.

"Okay, will you go grab the crew from outside?" She asked him with a smile as she pulled back from him, trying not to make a big deal over what just happened.

"You got it." He made his way out of the kitchen to call Betty and FP inside while Alice called Polly and the twins down.

As FP and Betty made their way inside they found the teenager already sitting on the couch, her phone in her hand. With all the movements she was making and frustrated grunts coming out of her mouth it looked like she was playing Mario Kart. FP was never that bothered if she played games on her phone, as long as it wasn't during dinner or when they did a family activity like they were having now.

"Bean, what did I tell you about gaming when the family is together?" He furrowed his brow as he looked at her disapprovingly.

Jellybean looked at Betty for backup but she was just smirking at the way she was getting lectured. That was one benefit of having FP in the house as a father figure. He was always there if she needed advice, or to stand up for her, but she got rarely lectured because that wasn't his place.

The teenager sighed deeply as she shoved her phone back into her pocket.

"Fine, but can we have some hot chocolate now?" She pouted, as she peaked over to the kitchen.

Her oldest brother heard her wish as he was pouring the last cup full with hot chocolate, and grabbed three of them in his hands.

"Here, JB." Charles walked into the living room with three mugs in his hand, Alice right behind him with two more. Charles passed the first one to Jellybean and handed the other two to Betty and FP, while Alice gave hers to Jughead and Polly. Charles hopped back into the kitchen to grab the last two for he and his mother.

"Sweet! You remembered extra whipped cream!" Jellybean exclaimed, looking to Alice.

"Of course, I did. You're a whipped cream fiend." Alice laughed as they all settled on the couches and chairs. She squished herself between FP and Betty, curling into his side.

FP pressed a kiss to the side of her head and wrapped an arm around her, grateful that she was so attentive to not only her kids, but his too. Alice always paid attention to the little things, so seeing her remembering a tiny detail about his daughter warmed his heart, especially after she had such a hard time adjusting to the situation once they all started to live in the same house.

Jellybean giggled and sat down on the floor next to Polly, who was attempting to let Dagwood have a sip of her hot chocolate without burning his mouth. As she was busy making sure her son was being careful, her daughter made her way over to the couch, pulling with her hands on FP's jeans. He looked down at her and smiled when she held her arms out. He passed his mug to Alice to hold so he could pull her up onto his lap.

"You want to taste, Juni?" Alice cooed as FP got her settled in his arms. She nodded enthusiastically. "Mine has mint and Grandpa's has caramel, which one?"

"Grandpa's!" the pig-tailed little girl exclaimed, patting his face with her hand.

She absently ran her little hand over his stubble, the feeling tickling her. Polly started chuckling by the mention of the name once again so FP sent her a knowing look through the corner of his eye to tell her to cut it out. He would never admit out loud that everytime they referred to him as grandpa his heart did a little jump, so he just played along with not liking it at all.

Alice looked as FP helped her granddaughter take a sip from his mug, leaving a whipped cream mustache on her upper lip. He was being careful with her as if she was his own, making sure the little girl wouldn't burn her lip or spill the liquid on her white t-shirt.

She adored so many different sides of him, but she had to admit that grandpa FP was one of her favorites. There was something so sweet and innocent about seeing the man that used to be a gang leader now playing with his non biological grandchild. Alice's internal musings over how adorable FP was were cut short when Jellybean yelled out.

"It's snowing!" She called, jumping up and running to the window.

The toddlers followed her instantly, one jumping from FP's lap and the other crawling out of his mother's embrace. Jughead followed his sister who was now glued to the window, pointing at the little snowflakes that were making their way down from the sky. Polly lifted Juniper up to bring her closer to the window and Jellybean did the same with Dagwood.

Betty joined her boyfriend as they watched Elm Street become covered in a white blanket of snow.

"Get your coats on, let's go!" FP announced, taking Alice's mug and setting it down on the table with his. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

His enthusiasm made her chuckle, especially considering that he looked even more excited than the kids. Sometimes he turned into the teenager he once was, the teenager she had fallen head over heels in love with.

The kids were faster though and rushed over to the coat rack to grab their winter jackets, scarves, boots, gloves and everything else they had to protect themselves from the cold. Polly kneeled down, wrapping up the twins so much they'd hardly be able to move their arms.

She gave them a slight push towards Betty and Jughead who each held a hand out for them to hold. Playing outside with the twins almost felt like tryouts for the day they would have kids of their own. Even though they were not related, Dagwood looked like a mini Jughead since he was wearing the same crown beanie that Jughead had given him for his last birthday.

FP laughed as they waddled outside with Betty and Jughead. He grabbed Alice's coat and held it out for her to slip into. Once she had it properly draped over her shoulders, FP wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck. She grabbed his arms and leaned back against him, humming contently.

"Today's been pretty perfect, huh?" Alice mused before turning around in FP's arms, her own falling over his shoulders. For so long having days like these seemed to be something she could only dream of, but now she was living it, and she enjoyed every second.

"We've got the whole family together. Of course it's been perfect." He dropped a kiss to her lips. "Come on, let's get out there."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door but she didn't budge. A disapproving frown appeared on her face as she noticed that he was about to step outside with just a sweater on.

"Your coat, FP?" She demanded, her hands coming up to her hips as she looked at him sternly. He didn't understand her concern when he wasn't bothered by the cold that easily, so going outside for just a bit without a jacket on wasn't going to kill him.

"I'm fine, come on." He reached out for her hand again and she took his reluctantly.

"You're stubborn and you're going to be cold." She quipped while rolling her eyes.

Even if he didn't want to say she was right, he gave in anyway, feeling the cold breeze coming from outside and knowing that he would be an ice sculpture between now and few minutes if he didn't put something on to protect him against the cold weather.

So instead of telling her that it was probably the right call, he rolled his eyes as he grabbed his Serpent Jacket and slid his arms into it. Before he was even finished putting it on Alice glanced at his hands.

"Put on some gloves." At this point she wasn't even asking anymore, since it was as if she had to convince a teenager to dress properly for the weather.

He just grinned at her and intertwined his bare hand to yank her over to him, since he felt like he hadn't kissed her enough that day. His adorable smile and his lips against hers made her forget that she was lecturing him in the first place. He gave her a little push towards the door after he broke their kiss.

They walked outside to find the kids gleefully horsing around in the snow. Jughead and Charles were chucking snowballs at each other already, while Polly tried to keep the twins out the crosshairs.

"Hey now, you two watch it with the little ones out there!" FP called the moment he saw Polly's worried face.

He gave the boys a stern look and watched as they put some extra distance between them and the toddlers. They were too busy using the other as a target to even say anything back, but they would never risk hitting the twins and hurting them. Betty and Polly helped the twins make their own snowball as Jellybean jumped on Charles back to form a front against Jughead together.

Alice smirked as she took a seat on the second porch step. It was nice to see FP being so protective, even if there wasn't much chance of the babies being hurt by the snow. It was cute, and the slight fear that crossed the boys faces as FP reprimanded them was enough to make her giggle.

She felt him slide down onto the step behind her, his legs framing her on either side, and she sank back against his chest. Feeling his warmth around her and looking at their kids having the time of their lives made her realize that she had everything she ever dreamed of. Against all odds she and FP got back together again and now they lived in a house on Elm Street that was filled every day with new memories of their blended family.

If someone would have told her this was what her life would look like someday, with her man, both her daughters, her grandchildren, her long lost son and the beautiful addition of the kids from FP she would have laughed right into their face. But now she had it all and after so many years she could finally say that she knew what happiness felt like.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt FP's hands slide down her sides and into the pockets of her coat. She glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised and a smirk playing at her lips.

"Cold?" She questioned smugly, watching FP try to play it off. She knew she was right as she felt his cold hands pressing through the fabric of her jacket. His hands had turned blue by now but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of being right when he had just made a big deal about not being cold.

"Nope, just holding my girl." He said nonchalantly. His hands were already warming up from the shelter of her coat and her body heat. The smirk that was creeping up his face almost betrayed the fact that he was lying, but he wasn't done playing the game just yet.

"Uh huh." She nodded, unimpressed. He furrowed his brow, too stubborn to just accept her teasing, even if she was right. He knew just the right way to get back at her.

"Well, I certainly don't have to. I can just keep my hands to myself." He said playfully, already pulling his hands out from her pockets.

Alice's arms landed on his, pushing them back in. In all honesty he had to admit to himself that he was glad that she was the one to cave because his hands were seriously getting cold and he was too damn proud to get his gloves now.

"No, I like it." She admitted cutely, adding, "Plus, I'd hate for you to lose a finger to frostbite just to prove a point, Forsythe." At this point he couldn't withhold a laugh anymore. He pushed his hands deeper into her pockets to embrace her even more tightly than he already was as he pressed kisses all over her cheek.

Their moment was interrupted though, as Alice's giggles were turned into a yelp when a ball of slush came crashing down over them. Alice gasped and looked down at her red coat that was now covered in the snow that was just thrown at her. FP laughed as he barely got hit but pulled her a little closer to his chest again knowing that the snow would make her feel cold soon.

"Hey love birds! Stop trying to make me puke and get out here!" Jellybean called out, laughing as they reacted to the snowball she'd thrown their way. The couple shared eye contact, needing just one look to tell the other that they would go for revenge.

They hopped off the porch steps and ran towards the teenager, each scooping up handfuls of snow and compacting it. FP threw his first, missing Jellybean as she ducked. He ran behind her, scooping her up around the waist and holding her still as Alice threw hers, hitting her directly in the chest.

Charles had noticed that his little sister became the target of his parents and knew that a partner in crime couldn't be left behind. He made the biggest snowball he had made yet and threw it towards his dad, hitting him right in his back.

"Al, a little help with the big one please!" FP called out as he tried to keep his grip on Jellybean and Charles continued chucking snowballs at his back.

Alice did her best to get a few hits on Charles, but he managed to dodge them all, FBI training coming in handy. Even Dagwood and Juniper threw some snowballs Charles's way, even if they came nowhere near actually hitting him.

Jughead saw that the little toddlers had joined them on their quest to hit Charles, so he ran over to them and let Juniper jump on his back, so she was high enough to actually throw somewhere that was near her uncle.

Polly did the same with her son who was ready to attack him, so alongside Jughead they ran over towards Charles to make sure the twins would get him.

"He's too fast, FP! He's trained in hand to hand combat, this isn't fair!" Alice called back to FP as Jellybean finally wriggled from her father's arms. Betty passed her a snowball as she escaped, effectively spitting the family into two distinct teams. This was war.

Charles saw his brother and sister running his way with the twins on their backs and seeing those big smirks he knew he just needed to play along. He would do anything to see those two little goofballs smile, even if that meant losing the snowball war he had started with his parents.

The twins threw their carefully made snowballs his way and hit his chest and his arm. The kids giggled loudly as Charles pretended that he had been shot. He dramatically collapsed onto the street, grabbing his heart as if the blood was flowing out of it.

"I come in peace! Nobody is stronger than these two little devils." He said dramatically as he could, as there creeped a smirk on his face afterwards.

The twins hopped off the backs of Polly and Jughead to come and hug their uncle as if they were trying to make sure he wasn't hurt. He sat up again and welcomed the kids into his arms, pressing kisses all over their heads as the sound of their giggles filled the street.

With his arms free from holding Jellybean, FP ran over to Alice and wrapped an arm around her waist, watching as she laughed as hard as he'd ever seen. Her eyes were twinkling in the moonlight and she had a strand of hair stuck to her lips, completely uncaring of anything but the scene playing out in front of her.

She looked so genuinely happy as she watched their children goofing around, and FP could feel his heart physically swelling in his chest. He was pretty sure he would do absolutely anything to see her like that everyday for the rest of their lives.

And that's when it hit him. He'd been waiting a long time for a perfect moment. He'd waited for a plan to come to him. But it never had because in the end it really didn't matter what he said or how he did it. He wanted to be with her forever, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.

"Marry me." He said under his breath, looking down at her in awe, barely realizing that he had said it. Alice's attention was torn abruptly from the kids and she looked up at him, sure she'd heard him wrong.

"What?" She whispered, her voice catching in her throat at the idea that he had said what she thought he said.

"Marry me." He said, louder and more sure of himself this time.

Betty's head snapped up from laughing at the twins and she slapped Jughead's arm, pointing towards their parents. Charles, Polly, and Jellybean all joined them in staring at the scene unfolding in front of them. It had been some time since FP had sat them down to talk about a possible proposal, but now that they heard him saying those words it hit them that it was finally happening.

"FP, I--, you--" Alice stammered, caught off guard.

She hadn't ever really considered them making things official. They knew they wanted to be with each other, and she didn't think he'd ever want to get married again after what happened with Gladys. But now he was standing right in front of her, popping the question she thought she'd never hear coming out of his mouth.

His face softened as he heard her stammering and looking for words, so he grabbed her hand to playfully yank her his way. Normally FP wasn't the one that was good with words, but now that he had Alice speechless he knew he needed to be the one to talk. For the first time in his life he didn't need to think about what he was going to say. It all came naturally to him, finally being able to express his love for her.

"You've always been my rock, Alice." He softly started, pulling his hand out of hers and bringing it up to her face. He looped his finger around the piece of hair that had been stuck to her lip for the past ten minutes, pushing it behind her ear. Alice's eyes had started welling up with tears, already.

"You have been from the moment we met and nothing has changed ever since." He added to that, hinting on their past together and how she had been the only one who had taken the time to know him, the real him, the FP behind the façade he was trying to build.

She had been there for him and made life bearable, even at his lowest point. Alice pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to keep from breaking down completely as he spoke.

"You know me. You know my deepest fears, my biggest dreams, everything." He continued confidently, being totally open with his feelings, publicly, for the first time in his life.

He'd spoken intimately with Alice before, expressing his true feelings to her, and only her. But now he spoke freely, in front of their kids. In front of all of Elm Street, not giving a damn who heard that he was head over heels in love with this woman.

The kids all had big goofy grins on their faces as they watched FP go on with his speech. Jughead looked at this girlfriend, who smiled from ear to ear. It was that exact look on her face that told him they were going to be okay, even with a big change like this in their lives.

As Alice wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye, even after fighting against it, he continued with a loving smile on his face. Everything in life was uncertain, but there was just one thing that he knew that wouldn't ever change and that was his love for Alice Smith.

"Maybe we got a little lost along the way, but we've always found a way back to each other. Because this thing, you and me, it's the real deal." He ran his thumb across her cheek, brushing away a few tears that had fallen since the first one.

He knew she wasn't expecting this, maybe had never even considered it to be something they could do, but he could tell just by looking at her that she was going to say yes.

It wasn't that he was worried she'd say no, more so that she wouldn't ever want to get remarried after the tragedy that had been her first marriage. He wasn't sure if she'd ever want to tie herself to someone else in that way again. But the way she was looking up at him told him that he had nothing to worry about. Now that he had opened the door to this possibility, she couldn't imagine not being married to him.

"We both know neither of us are going anywhere, but let's make it official." He said as he looked at her, finally doing something that he had absentmindedly day dreamed about as a teenager, and dreamed of for the last two years, from the moment they got back together.

He stood there, with that crooked, goofy smirk on his face as his hand reached down his pocket to the place where he always kept her ring, every single day of his life until the day he would be able to give it to her.

Now that moment had come and he grabbed the velvet box out of his jacket pocket and slowly got down on his knee, despite the wet snow, as he revealed a beautiful, shining engagement ring.

Alice gasped as she laid eyes on it, not because of how much it probably cost him, but because it's mere existence meant that FP had been thinking about this for awhile. This wasn't one of those times when he spontaneously and recklessly threw himself into something he couldn't get out of. He wanted this, and he'd thought it through.

"Al, will you marry me?" He said for the third time that night, finally asking her for real.

Not only FP, but six other people desperately waited to hear the word fall of her lips. She looked right into the chocolate brown eyes that felt home in a way nothing else did. She was certain that if he was with her she could take on the whole world.

He looked so adorable with the little snowflakes in his hair and wearing the Serpent jacket he had worn since he was a teenager and that still fit him perfectly, as if nothing had changed.

But things did change, and it was safe to say life had handed them some shitty cards. But now against all odds they were here, in the middle of Elm Street and the man she was always supposed to end up with was down on one knee asking her to share her life with him.

"Yes." She choked out softly, seeing his eyes light up as she did. "Yes, yes, FP. Of course." She said louder, her voice breaking over each word as she laughed with pure joy.

She grabbed his arms and pulled him up, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him as tightly to her as possible. She continued crying happy tears into his neck as he smiled the biggest smile of his life. With his arms wrapped tight around her waist, he lifted her feet off the ground and spun around twice, the sound of their laughter carrying through the whole neighborhood.

He set her down, but only so he could comfortably pull away enough to kiss her passionately. He had been confident in what her answer would be, but the relief and genuine happiness that filled him to the brim in that moment was unimaginable. He poured that feeling into the kiss, and Alice sent it right back his way.

In that moment FP realised he had never experienced happiness in the way he was feeling it right now. Everything was coming together, as if everything in his life had led up to this very moment. This was where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be wherever Alice was.

He nuzzled his nose against hers with a big goofy grin on his face as he pulled down the glove from her left hand. She couldn't break the stare towards her hand as he carefully grabbed the ring out of the tiny box and slowly slid it onto her finger. It fit perfectly, like it was made for her.

"About damn time!" Charles called, wiping a tear that had slipped down his face watching his parents. He felt two little arms wrap around his knee and looked down to see Dagwood hugging him tightly. All the kids laughed, and Betty looked over at Jughead, who was running his glove under his own eyes.

"Are you crying?" She asked, shocked. Jughead rarely ever cried, and she certainly didn't expect this reaction from him. Still, seeing him getting emotional over a milestone that is so important to both Alice and FP, touched her heart.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He defended himself as Jellybean and Betty looked at each other knowingly. Betty looped her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.

Alice giggled, looking over at all of their children teasing each other. She truly is the luckiest woman on earth. Seeing them all together suddenly made her realise that this wasn't just a huge step for them, it meant a change for the whole family.

"How are you guys feeling about all this?" Alice asked, a little insecure, scanning their kids faces. Judging by their reactions, and the happy tears streaming down their faces she would have guessed that they were okay with it, but she felt obligated to ask now that they were taking the big step to become husband and wife.

FP just smiled at her, already knowing that the kids had been waiting for this moment, maybe even more than he had. He admired her concern though, and it let him know that she saw this to be just monumental as he did.

"Well, considering that we've been waiting for this moment since Dad ran it by us in April, we're feeling good." Jughead chuckled, everyone joining in.

Alice's surprised eyes looked at the man that had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, pushing her a little more to his chest. The idea of him sitting the kids down to actually talk about proposing to make sure they were okay was another reason to add to the endless list of reasons why she loves him.

"I can't tell you how many times Dad would drop something in front of you and I thought he was doing it. It's a relief to not have to keep it a secret anymore." Jellybean added jokingly, earning a ruffle through her hair from her oldest brother who stood behind her. All five of them looked adoringly at their parents, wrapped up in each others arms, truly happy just to be together.

"Why don't you kids go pick a movie to watch. We're right behind you." FP suggested, wanting just a moment alone with his new fiance. The kids smiled, giving each other knowing looks, and headed into the house. Alice turned to face FP, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You really are something, you know that?" She said in a voice that was nearly whimsical, looking up at him. Even after knowing him her whole life, he still always managed to surprise her. The smirk that appeared on his face was one she wanted to see everyday for the rest of forever.

"I suppose you've told me a time or two." He dropped a kiss to her lips. "Now that we're alone, you're really sure about this? Because I've never been more sure about anything in my life, Al." He knew how much she loved him, but he just wanted to make sure that the fact that their kids had seen everything didn't put pressure on her to say yes.

"Me too, honey. I love you, and I can't wait to be Mrs. Jones." She said, bumping his nose with hers. He pulled away just to look at her, his expression slightly shocked as a smile tugged at his lips.

"You want to change your name?" He asked her, awestruck and eyes gleaming. He just assumed that after everything she'd been through, keeping her last name would be important to her.

"Of course. I've never had a last name that I didn't associate with people who hurt me. Whether it was my mom or Hal, my name wasn't ever mine. I want to know what it's like to share a name with someone who makes me feel loved and safe." She answered, bringing a hand up to his cheek when she saw his eyes well up a little.

He didn't really have the words to properly respond to that, so he just leaned down and kissed her once more, gently this time, conveying everything he didn't know how to say.

"I love you so much." FP whispered against her lips when he pulled away. He pulled her to his chest, resting his head on hers and holding her tight. She breathed in his familiar scent and rested her head over his heart. This was her happy place. Him. And she just so happened to be his too.

They stood like that, in the snow, for awhile. But they weren't cold. They both had a warmth flowing through their veins that could only be described as true happiness. True love. They were living the life they'd always wanted, always dreamed of. And when they finally tore themselves from the spot that would always be the spot where their lives changed for the better, they did it to join their children, their family.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Falice fam! Both @AliceSmithFBI and I hope you enjoyed your early Christmas gift! The last two months we worked on co-writing this one shot together, even with a six hour time difference and the Pacific Ocean between us. I want to thank her so much for writing this with me, thinking through every sentence, every word, every feeling, every movement that we wrote down here. It was a blast to cry over falice, discuss what fits them the most and what we wanted to show this falice family. We hope all of you loved reading this just as much as we loved writing this. Caylee is the absolutely sweetest person on this planet, so thanks for putting om with me. I hope you know I love you lots and that writing with you always managed to brighten my day. 
> 
> Falice Navidad!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Anouk


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